Number of German breweries declines during pandemic

Germany | The covid pandemic has hit the German brewing industry hard. Not only have millions of hl in volume sales been wiped out, the total of operating breweries has also declined – the first time in a decade.

According to statistics by the German Brewers Association, there were 40 brewery closures in 2020 and 2021 over 2019. These include 26 small breweries, which are classified of having an annual beer output of up to 5,000 hl.

This underlines that smaller breweries in particular, which are heavily dependent on the on-premise channel and on events, have been dealt a major blow by restrictions during the pandemic. It is assumed that what is called the “Brauerei-Sterben” (the death of breweries) will continue.